School board policies; parental notification; safe storage of prescription drugs and firearms in the household. Requires each local school board to develop and implement a policy to require the annual notification of the parent of each student enrolled in the local school division, to be sent by email and, if applicable, SMS text message within 30 calendar days succeeding the first day of each school year, of (i) the importance of securely storing any prescription drug, as defined in relevant law, present in the household and (ii) the parent's legal responsibility to safely store any firearm present in the household. The bill requires each school board to make such parental notification available in multiple languages on its website. This bill is identical to HB 1678.
Sponsored bills
Department of Education; model memorandum of understanding; counseling from school counselors by way of telehealth. Provides that the model memorandum of understanding developed by the Department of Education for partnerships with community mental health services providers or school-based telehealth providers shall include procedures allowing for students to receive counseling from school counselors by way of telehealth. This bill is a recommendation of the Joint Subcommittee to Study Pandemic Response and Preparedness in the Commonwealth and is identical to HB 2543.
Transportation network companies; publishing and disclosure requirements. Requires a transportation network company (TNC) to (i) issue an annual report to the Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles containing the aggregate data regarding the average fare collected from passengers, the total time driven by TNC partners while transporting a passenger, and the total amount earned by TNC partners in connection with prearranged rides and (ii) disclose to TNC partners details about the deactivation process and provide a weekly summary that includes the total fare collected from passengers, the total amount earned, and the percentage earned by such TNC partner that week. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026. This bill is identical to HB 2756.
Collective bargaining by public employees; exclusive bargaining representatives. Repeals the existing prohibition on collective bargaining by public employees. The bill creates the Public Employee Relations Board, which shall determine appropriate bargaining units and provide for certification and decertification elections for exclusive bargaining representatives of state employees and local government employees. The bill requires public employers and employee organizations that are exclusive bargaining representatives to meet at reasonable times to negotiate in good faith with respect to wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment. The bill repeals a provision that declares that, in any procedure providing for the designation, selection, or authorization of a labor organization to represent employees, the right of an individual employee to vote by secret ballot is a fundamental right that shall be guaranteed from infringement. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026. This bill incorporates SB 964, SB 1033, and SB 1401 and is identical to HB 2764.
Prescription Drug Affordability Board established; drug cost affordability review. Establishes the Prescription Drug Affordability Board for the purpose of protecting the citizens of the Commonwealth and other stakeholders within the health care system from the high costs of prescription drug products. The bill requires the Board to meet in open session at least four times annually, with certain exceptions and requirements enumerated in the bill. Members of the Board are required to disclose any conflicts of interest, as described in the bill. The bill also creates a stakeholder council for the purpose of assisting the Board in making decisions related to drug cost affordability. The bill tasks the Board with identifying prescription, generic, and other drugs, as defined in the bill, that are offered for sale in the Commonwealth and, at the Board's discretion, conducting an affordability review of any prescription drug product. The bill lists factors for the Board to consider that indicate an affordability challenge for the health care system in the Commonwealth or high out-of-pocket costs for patients. The bill also provides that any person aggrieved by a decision of the Board may request an appeal of the Board's decision and that the Attorney General has authority to enforce the provisions of the bill. The bill provides that the Board shall establish no more than 12 upper payment limit amounts annually between July 1, 2026, and January 1, 2029.The bill requires the Board to annually report its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly, beginning on December 31, 2026. Provisions of the bill apply to state-sponsored and state-regulated health plans and health programs and obligate such policies to limit drug payment amounts and reimbursements to an upper payment limit amount set by the Board, if applicable, following an affordability review. The bill specifies that Medicare Part D plans are not bound by such decisions of the Board.The bill also requires the nonprofit organization contracted by the Department of Health to provide prescription drug price transparency to provide the Board access to certain data reported by manufacturers. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026.
Collective bargaining by public employees; exclusive bargaining representatives. Repeals the existing prohibition on collective bargaining by public employees. The bill creates the Public Employee Relations Board, which shall determine appropriate bargaining units and provide for certification and decertification elections for exclusive bargaining representatives of state employees and local government employees. The bill requires public employers and employee organizations that are exclusive bargaining representatives to meet at reasonable times to negotiate in good faith with respect to wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment. The bill repeals a provision that declares that, in any procedure providing for the designation, selection, or authorization of a labor organization to represent employees, the right of an individual employee to vote by secret ballot is a fundamental right that shall be guaranteed from infringement. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026. This bill is identical to SB 917.
Restaurants; food allergy awareness notice required. Requires the State Health Commissioner to publish in multiple languages a notice containing procedures for restaurant staff to follow when a customer has a food allergy on the Department of Health's website. The bill requires restaurants to post such notice in a conspicuous location. The bill also requires restaurants to include the phrase, "If you have a food allergy, please notify us," and its translation, if applicable, on their menus or on a sign posted conspicuously in the restaurant.
School boards; powers and duties; school meal policies; payment of school meal debt. Requires each school board, at the end of each school year, to pay for the total unpaid school meal balance, resulting from uncollectable school meal debts on any student account, on the nonprofit school food service account for each public elementary or secondary school in the school division using any appropriated nonfederal funds, except that each school board is prohibited from requiring any public elementary or secondary school in the school division from paying for or providing any funds to pay for such school's unpaid school meal balance. The bill requires each school board to adopt policies in accordance with the provisions of the bill in order to pay these unpaid balances at the end of each school year.
Department of Criminal Justice Services; standards and training for security at nonprofit institutions. Requires the Department of Criminal Justice Services to establish statewide best practices, including training, for any law-enforcement officer, unarmed security officer, or armed security officer providing security services at nonprofit institutions that serve individuals and communities at risk of hate crimes within the Commonwealth.
Firearm industry members; standards of responsible conduct; civil liability. Creates standards of responsible conduct for firearm industry members and requires such members to establish and implement reasonable controls regarding the manufacture, sale, distribution, use, and marketing of the firearm industry member's firearm-related products, as those terms are defined in the bill. Such reasonable controls include reasonable procedures, safeguards, and business practices that are designed to (i) prevent the sale or distribution of a firearm-related product to a straw purchaser, a firearm trafficker, a person prohibited from possessing a firearm under state or federal law, or a person who the firearm industry member has reasonable cause to believe is at substantial risk of using a firearm-related product to harm themselves or unlawfully harm another or of unlawfully possessing or using a firearm-related product; (ii) prevent the loss of a firearm-related product or theft of a firearm-related product from a firearm industry member; (iii) ensure that the firearm industry member complies with all provisions of state and federal law and does not otherwise promote the unlawful manufacture, sale, possession, marketing, or use of a firearm-related product; and (iv) ensure that the firearm industry member does not engage in an act or practice in violation of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. The bill also provides that a firearm industry member may not knowingly or recklessly create, maintain, or contribute to a public nuisance, as defined in the bill, through the sale, manufacturing, importing, or marketing of a firearm-related product. The bill creates a civil cause of action for the Attorney General or a local county or city attorney to enforce the provisions of the bill or for any person who has been injured as a result of a firearm industry member's violation to seek an injunction and to recover costs and damages.